How Could the Governor's Cut to Local Aid Impact Wayland?

Gov. Deval Patrick on Tuesday announced plans to close a $540 million state budget deficit through a combiniation of cuts and transfers from the state's "rainy day" fund.

The proposed cuts, some of which require the approval of the legislature, would reduce the state's planned aid to Wayland in the current fiscal year, FY2013, by nearly $30,000.

In particular, Patrick's proposal cuts $11.5 million from the state's Special Education Circuit Breaker reimbursement program, a move that the governor can enact without the legislature's approval.

That $11.5 million represents 4.75 percent of the overall Circuit Breaker line item in the state budget. In Wayland, the expected FY13 Circuit Breaker reimbursement is $463,551, and a 4.75 percent reduction to that would impact Wayland to the tune of about $22,000.

Wayland Public Schools Business Administrator Geoff MacDonald said he's been keeping an eye on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education email announcements and the general consensus is that the cuts won't ultimately be necessary.

If they do happen, however, "we'd have to find [the money] somewhere," MacDonald said. For some perspective, MacDonald explained that $22,000 is roughly equivalent to the cost of one teaching assistant.

Another cut proposed by Patrick is a 1 percent reduction in the state's unrestricted local aid, which "funds municipal services including police and fire protection, parks, and public works," according to the state budget center. This cut would require approval by the legislature.

In Wayland, a 1 percent cut to unrestricted local aid would equal about $7,645, certainly not a devastating amount, but a cut nonetheless. Wayland was expected to receive $764,572 in unrestricted aid for FY13.

Town Administrator Fred Turkington said the governor's cuts to budgets directly under his authority were not entirely unexpected given the "state revenue collections failing to hit the planned targets in the current fiscal year."

"However, his decision to seek legislative authority to trim a broad category of formula-based municipal aid (unrestricted general government aid) was unexpected," Turkington continued. "Municipal officials are hopeful that the economic recovery process improves so collections match current estimates."

Turkington said variations in the town's revenue collections would likely make up for the $7,645 cut, if necessary.